Our Project

Our Project

An overview of the project created by the learners whilst on a mobility.

Background

Our previous MUSICWORKS project addressed aspects of the vocational education in professional skills of participants, improving their understanding and serving the cultural needs of a Europe wide context. In that project, we widened the testing of ECVET in music vocational education to include all combinations of work and assessment between the partner nations. The programme of activities involved a number of mobilities between the partner schools which resulted in a number of products: ECVET documents, music workshops implemented according to ECVET principles, concerts, recordings and a variety of dissemination media including press and social networking.Assessment was carried out by teachers from the partner schools in accordance with ECVET procedures.

In this project, we go deeper both in music aspect and implementation of ECVET.

As a result of this programme a number of additional priorities became clear.

·To increase the use of technology for co-operation, dissemination, marketing and promotion

·As a development of our use of ECVET principles in Musicworks, we will implement ECVET objectives by creating a common unit based on SCQF which will be undertaken by all participants. It will be planned so that it will be validated and recognized in partner organisations.

·To introduce composition to the activities of the project and include trans-national composition techniques as well as the use of technology to broaden the skillset of the participants in line with improving employability.

·the project will improve the quality of music education on European level.

·the quality of internationalization and international processes in these vocational music schools will improve

·the quality in connection with international activities will become transparent

·the skills and competences of teachers and students will improve locally, regionally, nationally and on the European level

·we get wider possibilities for co-operation and joint development

The project further seeks to improve personal professional skills and increase awareness of international work opportunities. It will increase participant’s employability on an international level by improving their communication skills and widening cultural horizons.

The project seeks to ensure a valid, current, industry relevant environment. To facilitate this, the work-based elements are supported by tutors with current industry experience and input from the Work-Life partner. Matching of tutors to mixed groups from across the partnership ensure learners are exposed to as wide a range as possible of industry practice as it applies in all of the countries represented within the partnership. The Work-Life partner conducts a series of workshops engaging with learners to allow the information to be contextualised to their individual needs.

Implementation of EU VET tools

The aim of the partnership is to promote a Europe wide approach to employability in our sector through the use a mobility linked to practical work experience. By setting our model in a multi-lingual, business partnered environment we feel we are addressing this directly. In addition; this bid includes further development (already committed to by partners) by including a work-based assessment which will attract also a SCQF (Scottish Credit Qualifications Framework) credit rated qualification. With SCQF already aligned to the EQF framework and by the project content linked to a multi-centre mobility we feel we are addressing the underpinning objectives of not only the ECVET principals but the Europass agenda by:

·helping citizens communicate their skills and qualifications effectively when looking for employment of further study

·give a qualification that can be explained to employers in a European context

·modify local delivery/curriculum to include elements that are transferrable across Europe

Enhancing digital integration in learning, teaching, training and youth work at various levels

We aim to increase the use of technology for co-operation, dissemination, marketing and promotion. All preparatory tasks involving students and teachers will be done via the Internet incorporating modern music technologies and applications. The partnership will use the digital medium to store and disseminate all products. All participants will use cloud storage, social media apps, digital recording (audio & video) as the day to day tools of the project. A new web resource, associated with the project, will allow initial idea sharing, file sharing and storage and a globally accessible repository for outputs. Social media groups will be used by participants not only to communicate with peers but with tutors; tutors will liaise regularly by the same methods. All project documentation will be stored and disseminated electronically, learning/workshop support materials (both documentary and rich format video etc.) will be available electronically enabling learners to engage at a time that suits them. Being web based, all materials can be made available as a resource for future projects either within or out with this project framework.

The project Intellectual outputs are:

Intellectual Output 1

Guidelines on how to create and promote music world wide using new web based technology.

(links to IO1 documents here)

A package to guide how to create and promote new music.It is done through increased use of new technologies for co-operation in creating music, marketing and promotion and dissemination.A globally accessible information exchange designed to both promote the overall project and improve participant’s opportunities to gain employment in a European context

Various range of participants will be included from other vocational areas besides musicians, e.g. Photographers, Videographers, Graphic Designers, Web Designers.

The package will guide the students to learn to create their own music, promote it and get a perspective of concert organizer, what kind of different things should be taken care when arranging a musical project and event planning.

Creating music is a key point of this this project. In former projects the emphasis has been in performing existing music. Through these guidelines, the students will learn to create their own music.Composition includes trans-national composition techniques, writing lyrics and arranging music.

In addition the guidelines help the students in getting further information among other things in budgeting, establishing dates and alternate dates, selecting material, making video and audio recordings shared via Musicreates websites and makingpromotional e-packs produced for both gigs and more importantly individuals; an electronic CV.

The students from each country will plan together music projects. They have to decide on the nature of the music and prepare the music products before and during the joint rehearsing periods.Together with the working life partner students will plan the scale of the event, in terms of duration, expected audience turnout and venue. They will also plan together the needed technical requirements of each event.

These guidelines will broaden the skillset of the participants in line with improving employability.

Intellectual Output 2

Creation and piloting of a study unit with title: Industry experience whilst abroad.

(link to IO2 documents here)

or UK partners it has been difficult to validate and recognize the learning outcomes which the students have been reached during the mobilities abroad. In order to solve this problem, we will build a common Study Unit which is based on the curricula of all the participants and especially make sure that it will meet the requirements of Scottish and Irish schools.

This unit will be piloted during three workshops organized in this project. The learning outcomes of the Unit are the same as in these workshops and so they offer a good possibility for piloting. The scope of the Unit will be determined later but the piloted version will be for 40 – 60 hours’ students’ work.

This unit will provide an opportunity for the students to investigate the professional workplace and the wider context in their area of interest. It requires the students to undertake a work based mobility in order that their learning is in an international professional context. It also provides the students with professional contacts and potential international employment opportunities.

The students are required to identify, plan, liaise and undertake an activity with a partner organisation. It is essential that the students are encouraged to make comparisons between home and host professional techniques.

They are expected to work independently, demonstrating effective teamwork within the agreed activity structures. They will also be required to demonstrate effective use of equipment, tools and materials.The students should reflect on and coherently discuss the mobility experience and be able to evaluate the effectiveness of their contribution.

The Learning and Teaching strategies are designed to facilitate independent progress within a collaborative and supported structure, which will include team work, individual tutorials and support and guidance across mobility partners.

This unit will be will assessed, validated and recognized according to ECVET and SCQF criteria’s in all partner schools.